Singapore to Shanghai flight tickets

Shanghai has two international airports, and which one your flight uses actually matters for this route: most Singapore departures land at Pudong, on the far eastern edge of the city, while a smaller set of China Eastern services use the closer-in Hongqiao. China Eastern and Singapore Airlines each fly around 35 nonstop flights a week, with Scoot adding a budget option — this is one of the densest China connections out of Changi, reflecting Shanghai's status as China's financial capital.

Pudong or Hongqiao — which Shanghai airport will I land at?

The large majority of Singapore-Shanghai flights, including all of Singapore Airlines' service and most of China Eastern's, land at Pudong International Airport (PVG), around 40 kilometres east of the city centre. A smaller number of China Eastern flights use Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), roughly 15 kilometres west of downtown and notably closer in. Neither is inherently the better choice — Pudong has the larger international terminal and more onward long-haul connections, while Hongqiao's proximity favours a faster city transfer. Always check your specific flight's arrival airport when booking, since the transfer time into the city differs meaningfully between the two, and it's easy to assume the two are interchangeable when searching fares if the airport code isn't clearly flagged.

How much are flights from Singapore to Shanghai?

Fares reflect strong three-way competition on a major business and leisure corridor. Return fares start from S$132, with Scoot generally the most affordable entry point and Singapore Airlines and China Eastern priced above it for full-service bundling and wider connections. Expect firmer pricing around Chinese New Year and China's October Golden Week, when both outbound Shanghai travel and inbound leisure demand spike together. Because Shanghai is such a major business destination as well as a leisure one, weekday demand from corporate travellers adds a layer of pricing pressure that doesn't apply as strongly on Singapore's more purely leisure-driven China routes.

Price patterns across the year on the Singapore-Shanghai route

Fares move with seat inventory rather than a fixed calendar. Shanghai's shoulder seasons in spring and autumn tend to have more favourable weather for sightseeing and correspondingly higher demand, while the height of summer's heat and humidity can see softer leisure bookings. Golden Week and Chinese New Year remain the two reliable spikes regardless of season. A Price Alert on this specific route beats guessing at a static "best month."

Daily and weekly pricing patterns

With Singapore Airlines and China Eastern each running close to daily service and Scoot adding further frequency, this route has enough capacity that fares don't swing as sharply by weekday as on thinner routes — though weekend departures around business-travel-heavy weekdays can still price differently. Comparing PVG-bound and SHA-bound China Eastern options on the same date is worth doing, since the two airports aren't always priced identically.

Airlines flying Singapore to Shanghai

Singapore Airlines flies around 35 nonstop weekly flights to Pudong as a full-service option with strong onward connectivity in Singapore. China Eastern matches that frequency and splits its service between Pudong and the closer-in Hongqiao, giving it the most routing flexibility of any carrier on this pair. Scoot rounds out the market with a leaner, unbundled fare structure for travellers prioritising cost over amenities. Air China and Juneyao Airlines also serve this corridor on a smaller scale for travellers whose dates fall outside the three main carriers' schedules. Because both Singapore Airlines and China Eastern run close to daily frequency, business travellers with tight scheduling needs generally have a same-day return option available most weeks, which is not something every Singapore-China route can offer.

Direct flights and travel time

Singapore Airlines, China Eastern and Scoot all fly this route nonstop. The two cities are roughly 3,770 kilometres apart — one of the longer intra-Asia sectors on Singapore's network despite staying within the region. Flight time runs to around 5 hours 20 minutes.

Arriving in Shanghai

The two airports serve genuinely different parts of the city, so it's worth understanding both before you land.

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG)

Pudong is Shanghai's primary international gateway, around 40 kilometres from the historic Bund/People's Square area. The Maglev train covers the airport-to-city link at high speed for part of the journey, and Metro Lines 2 and Transportation offer a slower but cheaper alternative; airport buses and taxis round out the options. Given the distance, budget at least 45-60 minutes for the transfer regardless of mode. Currency exchange, SIM card counters and left-luggage storage are all available in the arrivals hall for travellers who want to sort out logistics before making the longer trip into town.

Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA)

Hongqiao sits much closer in, around 15 kilometres from downtown, and shares a transport hub with the high-speed rail station of the same name, making onward domestic rail travel unusually convenient. Metro access into the city centre is quicker here than from Pudong, which is worth factoring in if your itinerary is tight. Because Hongqiao combines an airport and a major rail terminal in one integrated hub, it's also the more convenient option if you're planning to continue by train to another Chinese city rather than staying in Shanghai itself.

Cabin classes available

Singapore Airlines and China Eastern both offer Economy, Premium Economy (Singapore Airlines) and Business class on this sector, with lie-flat Business seating well suited to the five-hour-plus flight time. Scoot flies Economy and its ScootPlus extra-legroom tier without a full lie-flat product, reflecting its lower fare positioning. Business travellers making a quick turnaround trip tend to value Singapore Airlines' lounge access at both ends of the route as much as the seat itself, given how tight some corporate itineraries on this particular business corridor can genuinely be.

Things to do in Shanghai

The Bund, Shanghai's riverside promenade of colonial-era buildings facing off against the futuristic Pudong skyline across the water, is the city's defining postcard view, best at dusk when both sides light up. Yu Garden, a classical Ming-dynasty garden tucked behind the touristy Yuyuan Bazaar, offers a genuine slice of old Shanghai amid the modern city. Nanjing Road's pedestrian shopping stretch runs from People's Square toward the Bund and is worth an evening walk after dark for its scale and neon alone. The Shanghai Museum holds one of China's best collections of ancient bronzes and ceramics under one roof, with a scale that easily fills half a day for travellers genuinely interested in Chinese art history. For a half-day outside the core, Zhujiajiao, a canal water town on the city's western outskirts, gives a quieter, more historic counterpoint to the skyscraper density downtown. The Shanghai Tower and Jin Mao Tower observation decks in Pudong offer a different vantage point back across the river toward the Bund, worth pairing with a riverside walk on the opposite bank later the same day for a genuinely different perspective on the skyline.

Where to stay in Shanghai

The Bund and People's Square area suits travellers who want to walk between the city's most photographed sights and its main shopping streets. Xintiandi, a restored shikumen (stone-gate house) district turned dining and nightlife quarter, offers a more boutique, upscale base. Travellers arriving at Hongqiao sometimes stay nearby for the convenience, given its proximity to both the airport and the high-speed rail station for onward domestic trips. The former French Concession, with its tree-lined streets and converted colonial villas now housing cafés and boutiques, is a popular middle-ground choice for travellers who want character without being right in the busiest tourist core.

Travel tips for Singapore-Shanghai

Singapore ordinary-passport holders can enter China visa-free for stays of up to 30 days under the bilateral exemption arrangement, covering tourism, business and family visits without an advance visa application. Shanghai runs two hours behind Singapore time. The currency is the Chinese yuan (RMB/CNY), and mobile payment via Alipay or WeChat Pay is the default way locals transact almost everywhere, so setting one up with an international card ahead of the trip is worth the effort. Shanghai has genuine seasons — pack for cold winters and hot, humid summers rather than assuming Southeast Asian-style year-round warmth. English signage is reasonably common in the city's central districts and on the metro system, though having key destination names saved in Chinese characters makes taxi rides considerably smoother, particularly once you're outside the main tourist-facing hotel and shopping districts.

Alternative routes and related destinations

Travellers exploring more of China from Singapore might add Singapore to Beijing for the capital, or Singapore to Xiamen for a smaller coastal alternative. See the full route list across China on Traveloka.

Why book Singapore-Shanghai flights on Traveloka

With flights split across two airports and three main carriers, Traveloka's Price Alert helps track fares for the specific airport and airline combination you want rather than comparing manually. Easy Reschedule and support for PayNow and major cards make adjusting plans straightforward, and having both Pudong and Hongqiao options visible in one search makes it easier to weigh fare against convenience before booking. for a smoother overall experience.